While Taking This Oath, Having His Sword In His Left Hand, He
Holds In His Right Hand A Burning Candle, On Which Is A Gold Ring, Which
He Touches With His Fingers.
After this they throw some grains of rice
over him, using many other ceremonies, and numerous prayers, and then
worship the sun three times.
When all these ceremonies are gone through,
all the _Caymayles_, or lords of noble birth, taking hold of the candle,
take an oath to be true and faithful subjects to the new king.
After the end of the thirteen days mourning, they all begin to chew betel,
and to eat flesh and fish as formerly, the new king alone excepted. He is
bound to mourn for his predecessor during a whole year, chewing no betel,
eating no flesh or fish, neither shaving his beard nor cutting; his nails
during all that time. He must eat only once a-day, washing himself all
over before this single meal, and devoting certain hours of every day to
prayer. After the expiry of the year, he uses a certain ceremony for the
soul of the king his predecessor, much like our solemn dirge; at which
100,000 persons are often assembled, among whom he distributes large alms.
When this ceremony is ended, the prince is confirmed as inheritor of the
kingdom, and all the people depart.
The zamorin of Calicut, and the other kings of Malabar, have each one
especial officer, to whom the administration of justice is confided, and
whose authority in all matters of government is as ample as that of the
king himself.
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